I'm Not Giving Up On You
by grandegrassi
Summary: When Tristan experiences a tragedy regarding the Ice Hounds, he decides to run away to the city that he thinks he can start over in, New York City. When Owen puts together what happens, will he forget about his brother in shame, or follow his brother and help him cope? Read to find out!
1. Chapter 1

Hi guys! So, this is a new story. It revolves around Owen/Tristan and doesn't have a lot of interaction with the other characters. You'll see why. By the way, let me just say now, there will not be incest with Owen and Tristan. Just, no. If you want incest, read my Drew/Gracie story. Okay? Okay. Yeah, so, I hope you enjoy this fluffy dramatic brother feel-good feel-bad how many other words can I use to describe this I love you bye story. R&R if you love me too. By the way, TRIGGER WARNING! TRIGGER WARNING

TRIGGGGGGGGGGGEER WARNING! OKAy IF YOU DON'T GET THAT, IT MEANS IF YOU GET TRIGGERED EASILY I'M WARNING YOU. (that sounds right...) There is a lot of language and a character rape in the first chapter. So... Yeah. Alright, bye.

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(TRISTAN)

I woke up feeling nauseous. What had just happened? My ribs are sore, my...my...holy crap, why are my pants off? Why am I naked? What the hell is happening? I went to get up and find a towel and I found that my left wrist was handcuffed to a bench. The locker room. Not the one I'm usually in during P.E...

I heard deep laughs in a distance. "Yeah, what a fag!" A voice with an accent said, and I heard a high five. "I'm glad we gave that gay what he wanted. A nice reality check. He doesn't like things up his ass as much as he figured he did, did he?" I recognized the voice of his brother's friend, (well, team mate), Luke Baker.

"The way he screamed was hilarious! I bet he'll think twice before letting a guy fuck him now, right?" Another male voice. My head hurt, so I couldn't really think of who it was. Probably another one of Owen's team mates...

Where the hell is Owen right now? How am I supposed to escape?

"Yeah, do you think he will remember?" Mike Dallas seemed worried.

I didn't remember...But I guessed they did something to me, since, now I could feel a soreness in...well, where they were talking about.

"I think we knocked him out for a while. He should find the key and be able to get out before Owen figures out how to get in." Luke spoke again, and I realized how much I hated him...

Wait...Owen! Owen wasn't involved in whatever had happened, which is a relief, and another relief, he was coming! Maybe he could explain this... I heard the door slam, letting me know that I was finally alone and safe to move. How had I even gotten in here? How did the hockey guys find me, and why? My head was pounding and my memory was shot. I was already forgetting what they had said...something about a key.

My vision was blurred and my eyes hurt a lot, probably from crying, so I shut my eyes and ran my hands on the floor blindly until I found a small key. I opened my eyes for a second and slipped the key in the hole of the lock on the handcuffs. I unlocked myself and tried to stand up, but I fainted...

...

I woke up a while later and I was still naked and alone. I searched the whole locker room and found my clothes, and underwear stained with blood mixed with a thick-ish liquid that I could only describe as cloudy... Then it all rushed to me.

The hockey team raped me. They drugged me and forced themselves into me. Why? Then they called me gay...What was wrong with them. What lesson was that? They said that it taught me a lesson, but...it didn't make sense. Maybe my head was just foggy. I threw those underwear away and slipped on my shorts with nothing under. It hurt.

I put on my shirt and started crying again... I sat there, crying for what seemed like an hour. I didn't know any type of time, since my phone was, of course, gone... I went to open the door and surprisingly, it was unlocked. So, Owen could have came and saved me anytime, but he didn't care.

Awesome.

I walked home slowly. I had to limp, and after a while, I was winded. My ribs were hurting so much... And, my butt didn't feel too awesome either.

I would have called a cab, but I couldn't. It seemed like almost midnight by the time I got home. My parents were out of town so it was just gonna be me and Owen, and I could bet Owen had some whore over...

I opened the door and heard a voice that made my heart stop.

"Oh, hey champ!" Luke yelled, turning to Tristan and, as soon as Owen couldn't see Luke's face, he gave me a look that said if I said a word about what had happened, he'd do something worse than rape me...

The whole hockey team was there. "Oh, hey..." I said with a shaky voice, "Um, I'm going to Maya's. I just came to change my clothes and pack a bag. Owen just nodded. He was probably in on this.

I didn't say another word. I went to my room and packed a bag. But not one for a night at Maya's. One to run away. I was running away. Where? The place where I could start over...

New York.

...

It was perfect. I had a passport since my visit to France, and I could use my birthday money to buy a plane ticket. I packed a bag full of all of my favorite clothes, and I went online and printed out a ticket to the 5am flight to New York City. It cost me almost all of my money, so... I needed more. I only had 50 dollars of my own money left...

I snuck into my parents' room and felt guilty as I stole an even 150 dollars. I then snuck into Owen's room and stole every freaking dollar I could find. He had just turned 18 so he was loaded at the moment. Every family member and family friend had sent him a wad of cash. So, I got exactly 745 dollars. I'm lucky my family is richer than an average family.

After I'd gathered up all the money, I counted it and found that I had exactly 945 dollars. That could be enough, at least until I found a way to get money in New York... I threw my bag out the window and grabbed a backpack that I'd chosen as my carry-on, and held my head up as I stepped into the kitchen. "Hey, Owen. Can I have some money? Like, 15 bucks? I was gonna stop by a pizza place and get some for Maya and I."

Owen wasn't suspicious, he just fished 20 dollars out of his wallet. "Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?" Owen spoke, and I wondered if his friends had fessed up. I hoped they had.

Once they were out of the room, Owen put his hand on my shoulder, and took a second. "Hey...so,"

My heart was beating so fast!

"Mind if we use that big ass smart water bottle from the fridge as a bong?"

I sighed. "I guess."

Owen smiled. "Thanks bro. I love you. Don't tell anyone I said that."

I almost felt like smiling. Then I remembered who Owen's friends were and I just spun on my heels and left, with the now 965 dollars, a plane ticket to New York, and my passport in my pocket. I was leaving this house for the last time, and I had no regrets.

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**Writers note:**

**So, what do u guys think so far? What's gonna happen? Is Owen going to find out and follow his brother to New York? (wink, wink). R&R, babes! I love u ;) **


	2. Chapter 2

(TRISTAN)

I arrived in New York, exhausted. The flight was my first flight by myself and it was stressful. I was too afraid to talk to the flight attendant in fear that somehow she'd recognize me and tell the police that I was running away. It was stupid, yes, but... running away was scary.

The flight wasn't that long since Toronto and New York aren't as far as Toronto and France, so, compared to the Paris trip, New York was a breeze.

But still, I was sat next to a mother who was breast feeding her newborn and it was awkward to say the least, so I flipped through the same issue of People Magazine over and over and over, finding new details every time. I was sure I could write a damn report on which celebrities needed to lose weight and where they needed those pounds shed.

Once we arrived, I got a cab, and it was a lot more expensive than I thought. I was taken to the nearest, nicest hotel per my request, and I had to spend 46 dollars on the cab fare! What kind of twisted world is that? I had never spent that much cash on something other than shoes.

I went to the front desk and asked for a room. The woman seemed perplexed and asked how old I was...Crap, what was I supposed to say? If I said 15, she'd think I was a runaway...But I was a runaway.

"I'm 18, ma'am." I lied through my teeth about how I had planned to go to NYU but my room mate was a disaster and my classes weren't right so I dropped out, and the woman didn't believe a word. "Kid, if you're running away on a budget, I'd check into the motel a few blocks down. You can't stay here unless you got 250 dollars a night."

Holy crap, that much for a room? Well, there were crystal chandeliers on the ceiling, and very nice paintings on the walls. I should not have said the 'nicest' hotel... I didn't say another word to the snobby woman and I just left, ready to go to the dumb dingy motel that was calling my name.

As I walked, I noticed a phone store and went in and got myself a cheap phone. It was not my iPhone 5, which was still probably with the Ice-Hounds, but it was only 90 dollars and I reactivated my number into it. Texts flooded in from every number in my phone, but mostly Owen.

"Where are you?" was probably sent about 50 times. Obviously I was somewhere where you can't find me, doofus.

I walked until I found the place I assumed the snooty woman was talking about. It was a gross building with a sign that didn't light up. Lovely. It looked super safe...Not. I actually feared for my life as I entered.

The overpowering stench of stale cigarette butts and spilled booze literally punched me as I walked in, and I had to stumble back. This place better be cheap as hell.

I stood at the desk for about 10 minutes before a woman with a huge mole on her forehead appeared.

"One room. Thanks." I said in my manliest voice, hoping I wouldn't be turned away.

"Alright kid, nice or cheap?"

What was that supposed to mean?

"Uh, cheap I guess.."

I got out my wallet that was still pretty thick and paid the 45 dollars for tonight. It was the cheapest I'd ever seen a place... How did they keep it running this cheap a night? Then I took another look around and realized that they didn't exactly take good care of the place.

"Okay kiddo, follow me. Bring your bags."

I just nodded my head slightly and followed her. Didn't she need to stay at the desk? Then again, this place is kind of empty. I was probably the first customer all day. We walked for a while until she stopped at a room that had the number 108 on a small sign. She handed me the key and walked away, without another word. It wasn't a key card like every hotel I'd ever been in, but an actual bronze colored key. It was the first thing made of metal in this place that wasn't rusted. I assumed it must not get used a lot.

I put the key in the lock and opened the door. It was about the quality I expected. Not high. The paint on the wall was peeling, the couch had cigarette burns on it, as if someone had used it as an ash-tray, and I found a small knife in the nightside table drawer. Along with a Holy Bible. Very settling. The sheets were wrinkled and had suspicious white stains that reminded me of the hockey team, so I took the knife I'd found in the nightside drawer and sliced them as much as I could. Honestly, I wasn't worried about messing up the place, because it was already messed up. I threw the shredded sheets on the floor and went into the bathroom.

A bathtub with rusty handles and no jets. Great. How was I supposed to take a nice bubble bath now? Ugh.

I decided not to stay in the hellhole any longer. So I put my stuff in the closet and grabbed my key and my wallet and headed for the city. I'd have to enjoy some time in The Big Apple, rather than focusing on the sub-par room arrangements. Maybe I could find a room mate! Or a job! I just had to stay positive.

As I walked on the streets, I checked my phone again. Should I respond to anyone? Probably not...But, maybe just not Owen. Maybe I could call Maya and tell her I'm okay. She's bound to be worried. I checked the texts from her number, and my assumption was right. She was freaking the hell out. So, I stepped into a Starbucks and dialed her number.

She answered immediately.

"TRISTAN?! IS THAT YOU?"

I chewed my bottom lip, wondering if it was a mistake to call Maya.

"Yeah, it's me. Chill out, May."

"How can I chill out! Where are you?! TRISTAN!"

"I'm fine. I ran away for reasons I'd rather not say. I'm not coming back."

"Where are you?"

"I'm...I'm in New York City."

"New York City?" Maya spoke, still too loudly.

"Could you calm down? Someone might hear you."

A few seconds passed...

"Maya?"

"Someone did hear her, bro. I'm coming to get you. You need to come home." Owen's voice.

Owen.

Crap.

Why was Maya with Owen?

"No." I reply.

"Yes, please just let me come and we can talk about this."

"I don't want to talk, especially not to you!"

And I hung up. Hoping and praying Owen was not going to actually come to New York. Even if he did, he wouldn't know where to find me. I ordered a caramel frap, my favorite, and sat, watching texts roll in, knowing that soon this could be over. I would go back to Toronto and be known as the kid who stupidly ran away to New York..

New York? What the hell was I thinking? I don't belong here.

And the worst thought of all was knowing that I'd go back to Degrassi and face the people who sexually assaulted me.

My brother's best friends, the Ice Hounds. More like ASS Hounds. God, I hated every single one of them with every fiber of my being. If I could take that knife from the motel room and...

"Caramel Frap for Tristan?" The woman at the counter called out, and broke my train of thought. I grabbed my drink and sipped on it as I walked back out, ready to explore the city, for it may be my last day. That's sad. My first and last day as a runaway.

I stepped out on the sidewalk and a woman walked up to me almost immediately. "Hey, I'm Winter." She started. "I'm a modeling agent and I've been looking for a face like yours. You have such natural beauty. Would you be interested in taking some test shots?"

I was flattered, but also a bit concerned. What if this lady is lying?

"Here's my card." She handed me a laminated card with her picture, name, email, and number on it. If this was a scheme, it sure was elaborate.

"I'll-um, think about it.." I said, slowly.

"Okay!"

This woman was way too cheery for me, but...modeling could get me some money. I need money. The money I stole from my family could only get me like a week in this city.

I decided I wasn't feeling too well, and I also couldn't think of any cheap places in New York that I cared to see. I couldn't exactly pay for a broadway show on the budget I was on, and museums are BO-RING. So, I took my drink and the card from Winter and headed back to the motel. On foot.

My feet hurt, my head hurt, everything on my body was sore, so I crashed on the uncomfortable bed that had no sheets on it. I didn't even care. I just needed an escape.


	3. Chapter 3

Hi guys! So it's like midnight so I might not update So Close, So Far tonight, but I'm not all that tired so we'll see how I feel after this. I got the idea to write Maya/Owen's reaction to finding out Tristan left from tomfeltonlover1991 so, thank ya darling. 3 They're the person who convinced me to keep writing this, soooo. R&R everyone!

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(OWEN)

I sat on the living room couch next to my brother's friend, Maya. The only time I'd really talked to her was when her chicken cutlet boob fell out and I made fun of her, and when Tristan went missing before the play. So, it was kind of awkward sitting here alone with her. She was nice and all, but still...awkward.

Tristan had ran away. Well, I had to assume that. He left in such a rush saying he was going over to a friend's...I think he said Maya's but I was so drunk he could've told me straight up that he was running away and I probably wouldn't have remembered. But when I figured out that Tristan wasn't coming back, I called Maya. And she had no fucking idea where Tristan was. Great.

So now we sat, waiting for some kind of damn message or something.

"Do you have any idea why?" Maya said, in her mousey voice. I felt bad for the girl. She dated the rookie, Cam, the one who killed himself. But from what I heard, she was totally weird after he died...Like, she was emotionless. I wouldn't believe that now, because Maya was an emotional wreck. She'd come over crying, and I had to comfort her. Then she was basically having a damn panic attack, and I had to comfort her. I care about my brother more than anyone, but come on... At least try to act normal.

"No, I don't know why the hell he would do this." I replied, coldly. Honestly, I'm not that mean. I was just pissed at Tristan and Maya was being annoying.

"Was he getting bullied? You have to know something, you lived with him!"

Lived. That past tense kind of stung. As if Tristan no longer lived in the house we were in. Ever.

"I don't fucking know. He can take care of himself. I've tried to help him and point him in the right direction and he...he didn't listen." I was not about to choke up. I was not going to cry in front of a 14 year old girl. Nope.

But, a tear escaped my eye. Luckily, I don't think Maya noticed. Or did she? She didn't say a word, so I hoped for the best.

"Hey, how long are you allowed to stay? I don't think your parents would be too keen on letting you stay the night with an 18 year old. Even if its just platonic and your friend ran away..."

"Uh, I dunno." Maya said, absentmindedly tapping away on her phone. Who the hell was she texting?

"Do you want water?"

This was just awkward as could be. I needed something to distract myself. Maybe being alone for a minute will help me pull myself together.

"Sure."

As soon as I reached the kitchen, Maya's phone rang, and I heard her gasp.

I filled the cup with ice, then heard Maya scream Tristan's name and dropped the glass cup on the floor, letting it shatter. I'd have to clean it up later, but oh well.

I only got Maya's side of the conversation, which was almost unintelligible since she was so damn emotional, but I did hear 'New York' and a rush of relief came over me. I leaned in close and heard him tell Maya to be quiet so nobody would hear, so I grabbed the phone. Maya struggled a bit, because she obviously wanted to protect Tristan's location or something. Not like she was fucking yelling...

I told Tristan that I was coming to get him, and he protested. Typical, but before I could argue much more, the line was cut dead.

"So...what are you gonna do?" Maya said, wiping tears from her eyes. God, why was she crying again? She knew Tristan for like a few months, and he's safe. It'd be different if he died or something... Chill out, girl. But still, I gave her a sympathy hug. I knew I had to.

"I'm gonna go to New York, obviously. What other choice do I have?" I said, like it was the most obvious answer in the world and she was a total idiot for not knowing it. Well, part of that was true, but she was actually a pretty smart girl for her age. She wasn't slutty or trying to be dumb for attention.

"But, he doesn't want you to go."

"I don't give a damn if he doesn't want me to go. I need to save my little brother. I need to bring him home and make sure he's okay. He's in god damn NEW YORK CITY, for fucks sake. I need to get him out of there before he gets mugged or raped or..." I choked a bit on the last word, "killed."

She gasped, knowing it was a possibility. I took a wild guess that she thought New York was a clean, nice city kind of like Toronto, but with a big green statue and some big buildings. No, its dangerous.

"So, um, are you going alone?"

Was she really asking me to take her? I'm not going to be responsible for the welfare of a decent looking blonde 14 year old girl in a big city full of creeps. No. Even if her parents said yes, I'd say a big no. I don't need to lose two kids in a week.

"Yeah, I'm going alone. And...I'm going...looks like, tomorrow afternoon! Earliest flight."

She bit her lip. It was weird seeing Maya do that, since usually it's a turn on when a girl bit her lip, but...no.

"Alright, well...I should probably go. Maybe I can call Tris and get him to talk to me and I'll convince him to call you..."

I just nodded and showed her the door. Honestly, now I was too distracted to be polite...or, you know...decent, to her. I was thinking of what I was going to say to my little brother when I got to New York and found him, which I knew would be a challenge in itself.

I went to bed, disregarding the fact that it wasn't even dinner time, and double disregarding the fact that I was missing Hockey that night. I'd make up a bogus excuse...Or I could just be honest and say my brother ran away.

Either way, I was sleeping, and not going. I sent Tristan a text before bed, telling him that I just want to come get him for his safety and welfare and that I was willing to talk to him about anything...I felt my phone buzz but I was being lulled to sleep by pure stress and tiredness, so whether Tristan called or texted, I missed it.

Just like I miss him.

But, he's safe. My brother is safe in New York.

Lets hope it stays that way...


	4. Chapter 4

(OWEN)

I had my things through security before I started having second thoughts. What was I doing? Getting my brother of course, but... NEW YORK? It was insane... Why did Tristan run away? What pushed him over the edge? That's what I really wanted to know more than anything. I boarded my plane and tried to sleep, like I always did on planes, but I couldn't. I couldn't sleep because my mind was on overdrive trying to analyze every damn thing I ever did, wondering if it was my fault. It seemed as if Maya didn't do anything, Tori was gone and Tristan wasn't dating anyone... Why didn't I take time to talk to my brother the night he left? I was just getting drunk with my dumbass hockey friends. I don't even like them. They're assholes.

Once we landed in New York, I texted Maya letting her know I'd made it safely. We'd bonded a little bit and I'd realized that though she's a ball of annoying, (as most girls are), she's actually not that bad if you get past that. She's really funny and talented. If she was older I'd probably actually like her a lot. She was much better than her bitch sister, Katie.

Me: Landed in NY. Now to find Tris.

Maya: Yay. Glad you're safe, Owen... Hope he is as well. :)

Wow, she was nice. I saw why Tristan hung out with her so much. She'd been through a lot. With the Rook, Cam, offing himself, everyone acting like she had fucking problems for not shoving her head in a shredder, I don't know. I should stop thinking of Maya and start going into finding Tristan mode. First, I tried all the places I knew Tristan would go to. Every damn Starbucks in the city. They were all the same. Some nicer than others, but still. Full of teenage girls screaming about frappa-whatevers and taking pictures with their phones, and business people on their laptops. I'd be embarrassed if I was caught in Starbucks in my 50's. It was such a crappy place. I got myself coffee, though. It wasn't bad.

After getting to every Starbucks I could find, I started thinking about the fact that it was only 9 in the morning here. So, knowing Tristan, he was probably in bed. Now, where?

I'd found that he stole money, but I doubted he'd go to some big hotel. He was smarter than that. So, I started going to motels. This wasn't the most efficient way to look, but I couldn't think of another. The first motel smelled like mold and when I asked the guy, who's name-tag said Maurice, at the front desk if he had a teenage boy with light blonde hair, I knew that was a mistake because he was really creepy and probably did have one...in his basement. He told me that he had none staying in the hotel, but he was sure he could find one. I actually thought of calling the cops but I really didn't have time.

I tried to ignore the fact that my brother could've been hurt or kidnapped by a guy like old Maurice. Nope, Tristan was probably just sacked out in some crappy place.

After ten motels that basically mirrored the first one, but with varying stenches and front desk people who were very, very diverse...I decided to call Tristan. Maybe he'd pick up.

But he didn't.

So, I had to keep with the Grand Motel search.

After three more, I felt like I'd found the place. This was the least crappy one so far. Though it smelled like cigarettes and puke, the woman at the front desk wasn't repulsive or scary. Looks like someone Tristan would trust.

"Hey, uh-do you have a teenage kid here? He has bleached hair and uh-his voice sounds gay?" It was offensive of me to say, but oh well. It was distinguishing. "Um, let me call the kid that checked in about two days ago.. I can see." The woman actually seemed kind of decent. She wasn't pretty in the least, she was actually kind of ugly. She had a mole on her forehead that I really wanted to just scrape off, and her eyes bugged out of her head. They were a pretty blue color, but way too much.

The woman dialed a number and told the person that there was someone for him.

It was about a half an hour until Tristan finally appeared. It was really him. He was okay. He was fine. He looked tired, but he was okay! It took every fiber in my being not to run up to him and hug him or run up to him and choke him. Both emotions were strong and I felt them both. I was happy to see my little bro, but at the same time I wanted to strangle him for doing this to me.

"Hey." I muttered when he got close enough, and of course, being the guy he was, he cried. Really? That bothered me.

"Hi, Owen..." Tristan sniffled. "P-please don't be mad." He was sobbing, jesus. This kid really wanted me to cry. He was something wasn't he? A tear almost escaped my eye but I just shut my eyes tight and it went away.

"Let's go to your room and talk." I said, finally, after the hug had passed the stage where it's lingered for far too long.

"Yeah, okay." Tristan lead me to a crappy room. "So, why?" I finally asked, sitting down on his unmade bed.

"It's a long story."

"Well, I have plenty of fucking time, kid."

He nodded his head.

* * *

So, next chapter will be posted soon, maybe today or tomorrow, and Tristan will tell Owen about the Ice Hounds! Yay, sorry I take so long to update I have to get in a mode.


	5. Chapter 5

(TRISTAN)

I got to my crappy room with Owen and we sat down. I knew that I'd have to tell my brother the truth. The reason I ran away. That scared me most. I tried to think of some type of lie, but I knew no matter what I said, Owen knew me well enough to know when I was lying. Plus, something inside me almost wanted to tell someone. Needed, even. So, I spilled the beans.

"I-I don't exactly remember much. I woke up and I was...I was in the Ice Hounds locker room... And I was handcuffed to a bench. I was in a lot of pain...And um...I could hear the Ice Hounds. They were talking about how they taught me a lesson and they were calling me a faggot and saying that...they...they raped me. I don't know if they um- directly did it or like...an object." I was in tears now. There was more to explain, but I couldn't go on. I was choking on my words. Ugly crying.

"Oh my fucking god!" Owen screamed. I was pretty sure there was some kind of policy against screaming this loud in a motel place. And I was pretty sure we were going to get kicked out.

Owen was kicking everything. He punched a hole in the wall. He punched more than one hole in the wall. He broke the desk chair. He punched the TV and got the glass...or whatever it was, from the screen in his knuckles.

"Owen, calm down. We need to get out of this place before you get arrested..."

I pulled 50 dollars out of my wallet that now contained about 500 dollars, and set it on the bed. "Let's go." I said, pulling my bag onto my back, and grabbing my still fuming brother and pulling him toward the window. I went to open it but it wasn't opening, and before I could do anything, Owen punched it. He really was mad. He broke the glass and grabbed the glass that was sticking out of the frame and threw it across the parking lot. Lucky we were on the first floor and getting out of the window was easy...

I got out with only a few scratches on my legs, but Owen wasn't looking too good. His hands were really bloody. Honestly if I didn't know better I'd think he'd just murdered someone or something.

"We need to clean you up." I said, examining his hands. We were in the parking lot, actually past the parking lot. We were in a small field next to the parking lot. I reached in my bag and grabbed a bottle of water and one of my shirts.

"Sit down." I commanded. Owen mumbled something angrily, but sat down.

"Listen, I'm sorry." I say, as I begin to pick pieces of glass out of my brother's hand. There was so much blood, I felt sick. So sick.

"You're sorry?!" Owen threw up his hands angrily. I grabbed his hands back. "Stop moving, yes. I'm sorry. Now let me clean your hands before you bleed out.."

"Well, I'm sorry those fuckers are alive! I'm sorry they were born. Goddamnit I thought they were my friends! It's sick!" Owen was screaming. It was like he wanted to get arrested for acting like a psycho.

"You didn't know." I said softly, picking out the last of the glass, then pouring my water bottle on the cuts. Owen winced, but didn't move.

"I should've known. I should've paid more attention. I hung out with them the day-the night you were assaulted by them like that. Tell me, who was it? Like, everyone?"

I thought for a minute and tried to recall everyone I'd heard. It seemed like a life time ago. It was crazy to think it was only a few days ago. "Um, Luke Baker. Dallas. I was really hurt and I couldn't remember. They said they knocked me out. My head had hurt a lot along with my ribs and my..." I trailed off. I didn't want to talk about where they stuck things.

"God, I hate those guys. Why would they do thaaaaa-oowww!" Owen's regular tone turned to a yell as I put a mix of hand sanitizer and water on a towel and dabbed his wounds. I sure wasn't a medical expert but I figured it was better than letting it just bleed.

"Let's stop talking about those guys. I don't want to think about it." I said, softly, as I got up and then helped Owen up. His hands were barely bleeding now, though they still didn't look too hot. I ignored the small cuts on my legs that had their own little trails of blood as if I scratched a mosquito bite too hard. I was barely hurt. Owen was much more hurt.

We began walking, and something came to me. "Owen, where are we gonna go? Home?"

Owen thought for a minute, but it seemed like forever. I didn't want to go back home. I knew it was probably where we were going to go and I really didn't want to. I just wanted to disappear.

"I don't want to go home." Owen said.

I didn't want to, but I smiled. We were on the same page.

"What if...we just...stayed in New York? Got an apartment...I don't know." I said, stopping walking.

Owen stopped too. He seemed to actually be considering that. I wasn't even sure if I was serious. I mean, it'd be great to never see an Ice Hound again, and I was pretty sure if Owen saw another Ice Hound he'd go psycho and murder them immediately. But...what about our parents? What about school? What about Maya? There were too many things to worry about...

"I want that. I'd have to get a job and you'd have to go to school." Owen was serious!

I hugged my brother. I hugged him right there. "Are you serious, Owen?! Oh my goodness!" It was the first sense of happiness I'd felt since the whole hockey team incident. Obviously Owen didn't want a hug, but he was feeling loving and sympathetic.

"Well, we'll figure it out kid. For now, we'll just have to check into some crappy place. A different one, and I'll try not to destroy a bunch of shit."

We exchanged a smile. A genuine smile. We were both damaged, but we were together.


End file.
